The 34th Arab League Summit opened on May 17 in Baghdad. This is an important event and symbolizes major changes in the region. The reports in Iraq note that the summit seeks to focus on many regional issues, including conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Lebanon, as well as the challenges posed by the new government in Syria.

“This summit will be successful by all standards,” Ihsan Ali, a diplomat at the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The Media Line. “Simply accepting Baghdad as host of the Arab Summit, and the attendance of several heads of state, will be a positive development for Iraq, which is deeply connected to its Arab surroundings.”